Above the tree line
Unexpected closeness
Tiny Hummingbird at Highwood House
Female Spruce Grouse with one of her young
The cutest little furball
Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel
Bighorn Sheep - she's a beauty
A bright splash of blue in August
Young Spruce Grouse
Northern Gentian
A gathering of female Bighorn Sheep
One of my favourite meadows
Mushroom in a wonderfully lush setting
Young Spruce Grouse
A brief moment's rest
Chipmunk with a yummy snack
Peninsular, Lower Kananaskis Lake
A brief moment of rest
Quite a typical view
Lower Kananaskis Lake at Peninsular
Lichens and moss at Rock Glacier
Between a rock and a hard place
The long road south
Lichen at Rock Glacier
Push!
Our beautiful foothills on an overcast day
Spruce Grouse, adult female
Light-coloured Pika
The beauty of Kananaskis along Highway 40
Distant haze
Hiding between the rocks
Mid-squeak!
Peninsular area, Lower Kananaskis Lake
It's that little guy (gal) again
Peninsular area, Lower Kananaskis Lake
When fall colours are just a memory
Sometimes it's wildlife, sometimes it's .... cows
A patterned sky
The beauty of fall
3 Nature's artwork
02 Hidden in the clouds
01 The glory of fall
A beauty from mushroom season
Growing in the cracks
Osprey on the hunt
Shingled/Scaly Hedgehog fungus / Sarcodon imbricat…
A brief close encounter
Hiding in the shadows
Two winters ago
Hungry little Chipmunk
Gray Jay - Canada's new National Bird
One spectacular fall day
Love those little Pika feet
Mushroom at Rock Glacier
Red beauty on a scree slope
Before the snow came
And here comes the snow
White-tailed Ptarmigan - my first ever!
Black eyes and beaks are a give-away
Now you see them ... now you don't
Bighorn Sheep, number 18
A few craggy peaks
Glowing White-tailed Ptarmigan
Strawberries and Cream fungus / Hydnellum peckii
A joy to behold
Slightly patterned
Treasures of the forest floor
Unidentified fungus
Wind-blown Osprey
Mt Lorette Ponds, Kananaskis
Paintbrush - green flowers, red bracts
Strawberries and cream fungus / Hydnellum peckii
Osprey take-off
Now they can't see me
Meadow Creek area, Benchlands
A day in the mountains
Pika / Ochonta princeps
Ice carving at Lake Louise
Clark's Nutcracker
When winter really was winter
Taking the quieter road
Rent a canoe at Emerald Lake
The beauty of Lake Louise
Emerald Lake, British Columbia, Canada
Emerald Lake
Chateau Lake Louise and ice castle
A winter walk
Winter beauty
Snow, snow and more snow
Clark's Nutcracker
"Canoe with three warriors", by Team Sakha from Ru…
Now THIS is winter!
Clark's Nutcracker / Nucifraga columbiana
Spikes of ice
Sunlight on the low cloud
Morning awakes
Sparkles on Forgetmenot Pond
Deciduous yellow
Fence line in the fall
The joy of peace and quiet
Forgetmenot Pond
Emerald Lake, British Columbia
Emerald Lake - a little gem of the Rockies
Pika, up close
Love a Pika's ears
Driving in a winter wonderland
Mountain splendour
Love those big ears and big feet
Sunshine on a mighty peak
Gathering food for the winter
A patchwork of lichens
Columbian Ground Squirrel
Black Bear from last spring
A moment of closeness
Set from the movie, The Revenant
From shadow to light
Mountain Sheep
Rolling hills close to home
A different backdrop
Sunlit peaks
A final goodbye
Sunbathed mountain slopes
A place of peace and beauty
Happy New Year, everyone!
Light and darkness
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Green jelly mass on Buller Pond
All three photos posted today were taken yesterday, 20 August 2016, when I went with friend, Pam, for a long day out in Kananaskis (the mountain area of the Rocky Mountains that is closest to Calgary). What a great day we had, seeing so many different things in such beautiful scenery.
We met up in the city at 7:00 am and drove southwards through Millarville and took the back way from Turner Valley to Highway 40. This is exactly the route that I had planned to go when I was all set to take my daughter on 4 August. Then my car's muffler and catalytic converter died and I haven't been able to go on any long drives at all. Nothing further than maybe five or ten minutes from home, with a vehicle that sounds dreadful with its loud, broken muffler noise and the loudest rattle that sounds as if the bottom of my car is about to fall off.
Before we left the town of Turner Valley (on Highway 22), we called in for a few minutes at friend Jackie's garden to see if there were any interesting birds at all her feeders. We only saw Pine Siskins, but no doubt all sorts of other species would arrive for her during the day.
Our first stop along Highway 40, which is the highway that goes right through Kananaskis, giving spectacular scenic views every inch of the way, was at Highwood House. This small store/gas station, at such a convenient location, is known for its Hummingbird feeders. We were lucky enough to see either one or maybe two of these teeny birds, and I did manage to get one blurry shot, just for the record.
Continuing on our way north, we eventually came to Rock Glacier where we happily watched one or two little Pikas darting all over the massive scree slope, busily collecting plants to store and dry in their "caves", ready for the winter months. I will add more information about these very small animals when I post a photo of one of them. Already have lots of information under previously posted Pika images. These are such difficult creatures to photograph - only six or seven inches long and the same colour as the surrounding mountain of broken rock.
Our next destination, after bumping into friend Kerri who was photographing the PIkas, was Buller's Pond, near Spray Lakes along the Spray Lakes/Smith-Dorrien road. I don't remember ever going there before and we were so glad we called in. A lovely pond/lake, where we saw masses of small, green, jelly-like 'blobs' floating near the edge of the water. I tried to identify these late last night, but couldn't find anything that looked exactly the same. So, I'm not sure yet if they are insect eggs or maybe even salamander eggs. The third photo I posted today shows one of these green 'blobs', along with a couple of Water Striders standing on the top.
It was here that, while walking through the trees near the edge of the pond, I suddenly gasped and couldn't believe my eyes. There was a beautiful Spruce Grouse perched on a tree stump, with a second one lying at the base of the stump. Such a beautiful sight! I quietly called Pam to come and see what I had just found and we spent some time watching them. These two birds, with their gorgeous feathers, showed no sign of moving, allowing us plenty of time to take photos. Eventually, I saw yet another one of them moving around on the ground nearby, and then a fourth one. So, it seems that it was a mother and her three young ones. What an absolute treat to come across these spectacular birds and to be given time to really enjoy them.
Once back on Highway 40, we started driving back on Highway 40, heading for home. We just couldn't resist calling in again at Rock Glacier, where I was able to get closer and perhaps better photos of one of the Pikas. Then, fifteen minutes later, we saw several cars pulled over at the sides of the highway. Could it finally be a bear? Unfortunately, no, it wasn't, but instead we saw a group of four Bighorn Sheep, three standing at the edge of the road and a fourth standing in the road as if to let us know that she owned the road and had right of way. However, she didn't move. Can't remember if it was this female or one of the others that started walking along the edge in the direction of our vehicle. She walked with determination and I was taken off guard when she came level with my window and I got this quick shot. Her focus, however, was on a photographer who was out of his car and had walked towards her, then crouched down to photograph her as she got closer and closer to him. She stopped just a matter of maybe six feet from him - we drove off now that the road was clear, so I've no idea if anything happened between the Sheep and the photographer, but he was doing everything that a photographer (or anyone) should not be doing!
Thanks you so much, Pam, for enabling me to get out to the mountains! It was such a fun, enjoyable day, in beautiful weather, spectacular scenery, and much-enjoyed company!
We met up in the city at 7:00 am and drove southwards through Millarville and took the back way from Turner Valley to Highway 40. This is exactly the route that I had planned to go when I was all set to take my daughter on 4 August. Then my car's muffler and catalytic converter died and I haven't been able to go on any long drives at all. Nothing further than maybe five or ten minutes from home, with a vehicle that sounds dreadful with its loud, broken muffler noise and the loudest rattle that sounds as if the bottom of my car is about to fall off.
Before we left the town of Turner Valley (on Highway 22), we called in for a few minutes at friend Jackie's garden to see if there were any interesting birds at all her feeders. We only saw Pine Siskins, but no doubt all sorts of other species would arrive for her during the day.
Our first stop along Highway 40, which is the highway that goes right through Kananaskis, giving spectacular scenic views every inch of the way, was at Highwood House. This small store/gas station, at such a convenient location, is known for its Hummingbird feeders. We were lucky enough to see either one or maybe two of these teeny birds, and I did manage to get one blurry shot, just for the record.
Continuing on our way north, we eventually came to Rock Glacier where we happily watched one or two little Pikas darting all over the massive scree slope, busily collecting plants to store and dry in their "caves", ready for the winter months. I will add more information about these very small animals when I post a photo of one of them. Already have lots of information under previously posted Pika images. These are such difficult creatures to photograph - only six or seven inches long and the same colour as the surrounding mountain of broken rock.
Our next destination, after bumping into friend Kerri who was photographing the PIkas, was Buller's Pond, near Spray Lakes along the Spray Lakes/Smith-Dorrien road. I don't remember ever going there before and we were so glad we called in. A lovely pond/lake, where we saw masses of small, green, jelly-like 'blobs' floating near the edge of the water. I tried to identify these late last night, but couldn't find anything that looked exactly the same. So, I'm not sure yet if they are insect eggs or maybe even salamander eggs. The third photo I posted today shows one of these green 'blobs', along with a couple of Water Striders standing on the top.
It was here that, while walking through the trees near the edge of the pond, I suddenly gasped and couldn't believe my eyes. There was a beautiful Spruce Grouse perched on a tree stump, with a second one lying at the base of the stump. Such a beautiful sight! I quietly called Pam to come and see what I had just found and we spent some time watching them. These two birds, with their gorgeous feathers, showed no sign of moving, allowing us plenty of time to take photos. Eventually, I saw yet another one of them moving around on the ground nearby, and then a fourth one. So, it seems that it was a mother and her three young ones. What an absolute treat to come across these spectacular birds and to be given time to really enjoy them.
Once back on Highway 40, we started driving back on Highway 40, heading for home. We just couldn't resist calling in again at Rock Glacier, where I was able to get closer and perhaps better photos of one of the Pikas. Then, fifteen minutes later, we saw several cars pulled over at the sides of the highway. Could it finally be a bear? Unfortunately, no, it wasn't, but instead we saw a group of four Bighorn Sheep, three standing at the edge of the road and a fourth standing in the road as if to let us know that she owned the road and had right of way. However, she didn't move. Can't remember if it was this female or one of the others that started walking along the edge in the direction of our vehicle. She walked with determination and I was taken off guard when she came level with my window and I got this quick shot. Her focus, however, was on a photographer who was out of his car and had walked towards her, then crouched down to photograph her as she got closer and closer to him. She stopped just a matter of maybe six feet from him - we drove off now that the road was clear, so I've no idea if anything happened between the Sheep and the photographer, but he was doing everything that a photographer (or anyone) should not be doing!
Thanks you so much, Pam, for enabling me to get out to the mountains! It was such a fun, enjoyable day, in beautiful weather, spectacular scenery, and much-enjoyed company!
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"These blobs are made by a colonial microscopic single-celled protozoan called Ophrydium versatile. They can be found all over the world in fresh water. The individual cells line up side by side in the “blob” and attach themselves to a jelly-like substance they secrete. They are symbiotic with microscopic Chlorella algae which live inside the Ophrydium cells and give the blob its green color.
Ophrydium cells reproduce by dividing. As the number of Ophrydium cells increase, they remain on the outside of the growing blob, and the interior, which is now empty of Ophrydium cells, becomes a watery gel. This soupy interior gel can become home to all kinds of microorganisms such as mastigotes, euglenids, chlorophytes, heliozoans, diatoms, bacteria, rotifers, nematode worms, other ciliates, and even tiny crustacean copepods, leading some to compare Ophrydium blobs to a floating zoo of tiny creatures." From link below:
askanaturalist.com/what-are-these-green-jelly-blobs/
On a different website, I read that this is found in "Freshwater, widely distributed in Europe, rarely reported in North America."
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